Salero - home to Bahrain’s finest, authentic Spanish cuisine and live Flamenco
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
By Tania Rebello
Saturday family lunches are a tradition in Bahrain. You will often find people spending quality time with their families and friends over a lavish meal at restaurants.
Several restaurants have gone the extra mile in creating a beautiful ambience and menu that is apt for sharing. One such restaurant is Salero.
Located in a cosy corner of The Westin, Bahrain City Center, Salero is home to Bahrain’s finest, authentic Spanish cuisine and live Flamenco.
The Daily Tribune visited this artistic restaurant owned by chef Jordi Bataller to experience their Spanish lunch buffet ‘Vermut A Tu Salud’ which featured a range of unique flavour combinations mindfully created by chef Sergio Boreggo and his experienced team.
As you walk through the entrance of Salero, you immediately notice the dim lighting with magnificent modern décor that is so inviting and instantly relaxes the mind, preparing it for a tasteful Spanish experience.
The greeters and servers are Spanish which adds to the overall experience. We were seated at a table located right next to the breathtaking Flamenco guitarist who played toe-tapping Flamenco music as the jaw-dropping bailaora expertly danced to the tunes.
The food display had a wide array of cold tapas. Tapas represent portions of food served in small dishes that are meant for sharing. What caught our attention were the cute little ramekins in which each item was served.
We gathered a few ramekins of cold tapas and relished them at our table. Huevos rellenos de surimi (devilled eggs with crab) was my first bite. The filling was so light, creamy and delicious. The crab flavour was prominent but it did not overpower the egg yolk.
The pinch of freshly cracked black pepper and chopped celery tied it all together so well. I then took a bite of the Queso de Cabra con cebolla caramelizada (Caramelized onions with goat’s cheese). The tartness of the goat’s cheese blended perfectly with the golden, caramelized onions.
We also found the potato salad with tuna and herbs particularly well balanced in terms of flavour and seasonings.
They were served with cute little breadsticks that looked like mini baguettes.
There were other mouthwatering cold tapas such as marinated olives, marinated mussels with vinaigrette and gazpacho to name a few.
The chilled sangrias and vermut were perfect beverages to wash it all down.
They also had fresh juices as non-alcoholic options. While we were relishing the cold tapas, a series of hot tapas were brought to our table by the friendly servers.
They also explained each dish to all the guests present at the lunch that day which I thought was educative.
The hot tapas consisted of patatas bravas meaning spicy potatoes.
This dish was a favourite of everyone at the table as it consisted of a lip-smacking spice blend on perfectly cooked potatoes.
The spicy potatoes were drizzled with two sauces; garlic aioli and a spicy brava sauce which gave it a spicy kick.
Served in a wire basket were crispy batter fried squid rings that had a noticeable paprika flavour. A spritz of lemon added a light, fresh flavour to the deep-fried squid rings.
Egg benedict with tortilla was next. I should point out that by this time, we began to feel quite satiated but each dish that was served to us was very appealing to the senses so we did try them. Let’s talk about the egg benedict with a tortilla. This is not the tortilla that we all know.
Tortilla, pronounced the way it is written is an omelette prepared with potatoes and eggs.
One of the chef’s interesting creations was the hamburguesa de chorizo de polla which is essentially a Spanish chicken sausage dressed up as a burger and chorizo were packed with flavour.
Once we were done with all of these little bites of sheer delight, the much-awaited paella which was freshly prepared by the chef, was sizzling hot and ready to be enjoyed. We tried the non-vegetarian version.
The rice was perfectly cooked with chicken and seafood. Crisp, blanched asparagus was served along with the paella which added a fresh bite to the dish.
We would have gone for seconds but by then, we were saving room for dessert. On the dessert display were churros with chocolate sauce, vanilla cream-filled profiteroles, brownies, mille-feuille and a beautiful flan. There was a decadent, tall ten layer chocolate cake as well.
The pastry chefs at the hotel really do a great job in preparing and presenting delicious desserts. The churros were irresistible and I may have lost count of how many I had. The vanilla profiteroles were filled with luscious vanilla cream and dipped in white chocolate.
They were lip-smacking. What we appreciate about the menu at Salero is that every dish is prepared with the utmost respect to the flavour of the main ingredient while staying true to authentic Spanish flavours. The live music and exhilarating performance, the delectable meal and the friendliness of the staff makes you leave with a smile on your face.
Plan your weekend today and head on right over to Salero for their Saturday lunch buffet that will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. If you visit the restaurant this Saturday, you might meet the man behind it all Chef Jordi Bataller who will be visiting Bahrain this weekend. Salero is open for brunch every Saturday from 1pm-5pm. For reservations, call 17171300 or WhatsApp 33502110.
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